You and I
by QTHorror
Summary: The blind she-weasel, Josaline must find her brothers before it's too late but she can't do it alone, not in a strange world with a condition that will make her easy prey. She finds help in the most unexpected place. Buck x OC *ON HIATUS*
1. Prologue

Prologue

A young she-weasel, maybe around six months old, played contently within a secluded clearing. And within the clearing was a den where the she-weasel's parents resided; the she-weasel's mother was currently giving birth to her fourth litter.

One may ask where the she-weasel's siblings were from the first three litters and the answer to this is simple: they didn't survive. In fact the little female was the only survivor of the third litter. They suffered from their sudden, unexpected premature birth. A number of side-effects plagued the young kit and it seemed she would perish the way her siblings had, but she surprised her mother and father with her stubborn tenacity to cling to life. Even though most of the side-effects that afflicted her went away three remained and it didn't seem they would go away; she would probably be stuck with them for the rest of her life. The kit's three problems were: she was decidedly small for her age, her immune system was unusually low, and she was born almost completely blind, the most she could see where blurred shapes and colors..

These factors made our young she-weasel extremely temperamental, but an interesting characteristic made up for this in her parents' eyes; the kit's pelt was mainly jet black with creamy off white running from her lower jaw to a little past her stomach. She also had hazel eyes that captivated her parents, even though they were a little clouded.

A rustling from the entrance of the burrow caused the black she-weasel to halt in her play and perk her ears forward. Moments later a handsome auburn and cream weasel appeared and made a soft purring sound. This was all the signal the kit needed. She raced across the clearing and past her father who quickly joined her causing her to slow her pace. The male gave a soft chuckle at his daughter's eagerness.

Abruptly the kit halted her progress as a series of soft squeaks sounded. Approaching much more slowly the kit felt her nose twitch and take in the scents of her newborn siblings. Stopping just outside the inner chamber of the den the kit waited for permission to enter from her mother. The affirmation came from a golden-blond she-weasel curled around wriggling masses.

Shuffling forward the she-weasel joined her mother and father, who had gone ahead when she slowed. The youngster twitched her ears in an effort to determine how many siblings she now had. The blond she-weasel, sensing her daughter's growing frustration decided to help her out. "Josaline meet your two new brothers, Jasper and Ace." Josaline blinked her film covered eyes at her mother and proceeded to learn her brothers' scents. It wasn't hard really, Jasper smelled of mint and earth and Ace smelled like strawberries.

Satisfied and confident she would remember their scents the black she-weasel curled herself up with her mother and two siblings before she posed a question to her mother. "Mommy what do Jasper and Ace look like? I can see their shapes, but not much else."

Josaline heard both of her parents take in sharp breaths of air. Seconds seemed like an eternity before her mother cleared her throat to answer, "Jasper is light brown with tan spots on his belly and legs. Ace is blond with darker blond stripes on his back and face." Josaline twitched her ears in interest, "And their eyes?" At the timid question she heard her mother sniffle and begin to sob. Afraid she had done something wrong the small weasel flatten her ears to her skull and whimpered.

Suddenly she felt her mother pull her into a bone crushing embrace and bury her face into her fur. Josaline felt her fur become wet with her mother's tears and she whimpered worriedly, "Mommy?" A deep shuddering breath was all she got in response.

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><p>Well here's the prologue of my story. This was to get the readers familiar with the characters so please review and hopefully I will update faster.<p>

~PRG


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One: A Chance Encounter

"JASPER! ACE!" a distressed voice cried. A small black and cream colored weasel tentatively darted onto a thin layer of ice toward her younger brothers. Said brothers motioned frantically for their sister to stop before remembering it wouldn't do much good. They knew if she continued out onto the ice she would share their fate.

The blond brother hissed warningly at his sister while his darker twin screeched, "JOSALINE! FREEZE, DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!" It would have been effective if their sister hadn't gone so far out on the ice away from the safety of land. Alas it was too late and with the she-weasel's frantic movements a chain reaction was set off. An ominous 'crack' was heard before all three weasels felt the ice beneath their feet give way and they were suddenly falling. Jasper and Ace clung to each other as they tried to reach their flailing and obviously frightened sister. Alas they were falling to fast and the wind ripped them away and they were thrown in the opposite direction.

Josaline was terrified; she could feel the air rushing by her as she was free falling. The most frightening part was the fact she couldn't really see; all she saw were blurs of color and soon she had to close her eyes because of the winds sting, so all in all she couldn't tell where or how far the ground was. This left her anticipating the feeling of her body slamming into the ground. At this moment Josaline hated being blind more than anything.

All the weasel could hope for at this point was that the falling would end and her death would come quickly. _'And preferably painless.'_ she thought frantically.

All of the sudden Josaline felt something wrap around her waist and she wasn't falling anymore; in fact she felt like she was floating, well as much as she could with the fluctuations of what was probably wings pumping up and down. She felt around and was shocked to feel scales; she was sure it was going to be a bird. Gasping slightly she opened her watering eyes in order to peer up at her impromptu savior. From what she could tell it wasn't a bird; it didn't look like anything she had ever seen before. And just as suddenly as it had snatched her out of midair, it dropped her.

A sharp, strangled gasp escaped her throat as she was falling again only to come out as a 'whoosh' seconds later as she hit the ground and bounced.

Groaning softly, the ebony she-weasel pushed herself up and was pleasantly surprised to find nothing dislocated or broken; at most she would have some nasty bumps and bruises. Shaking her head Josaline wasn't surprised to find her senses being assaulted by the new environment. She couldn't identify any of the new scents flooding her system expect for the scent of jungle and earth.

A loud roar made Josaline fall right back down on her rump and cover her ears, wincing. Whatever made the sound seemed to be very close by and Josaline really didn't want to find out what it belonged to._ 'I really hope whatever that was doesn't decide to change course and come this way.'_ she thought.

Just as she picking herself up again a rustling near her made her freeze and listen. Josaline felt her ears twitch frantically in an effort to discern where and what was making the rustling sound. The black weasel blinked and squinted furiously as the brush rattled again. She really was trying with all her might to clear her unfocused and blurry vision but to no avail.

Again focusing she held her body rigid, ready to flee if the need arose. The rustling suddenly got louder then stopped. Beginning to get annoyed and impatient she pinned her ears against her head and continued waiting.

Then, without warning, a brown blur tumbled from the underbrush and hope ignited in the weasel's chest. That hope was soon squashed when Josaline's nose caught the stranger's scent. She had thought it was her brother, Jasper, but this weasel's scent was drastically different than his. This weasel smelled of the jungle, fruit, and something else she couldn't even begin to identify. Also this weasel was undeniably a full grown male.

Josaline was instantly on guard when the male popped up onto his feet and began muttering whilst dusting dirt from his coat. Finished with his impromptu grooming the male turned his attention to Josaline.

The fur along the female's spine stood up in agitation as the male began to approach her. A small warning hiss escaped her throat as she dropped into a defensive stance. The male weasel halted his advance and through she couldn't really tell, she thought he cocked his head to the side in amusement. What really startled her was the male's unexpected words, "Now, now luv no need ta be like that." He paused for a moment as if to let it sink in before continuing, "I'm not gonna harm you. In fact I'm the most harmless thing you'll have the pleasure of meetin' down 'ere."

Josaline's tail lashed in annoyance as she muttered to herself as the male resumed his approach. She squinted and craned her neck to, well 'look' up at him. Josaline was already small to begin with, something she despised, but she seemed to be even smaller when she stood near this stranger; she only came up to about his shoulder. This made her frown in annoyance._ 'Really, I mean really! Come on does everybody have to be taller than me!'_she complained silently. Shaking herself mentally she resumed her observation of him to the best of her ability and was startled to notice a green blob on the male's face.

The male suddenly grabbed her left arm and yanked her forward slightly and proceeded to sniff and examine her closely all the while introducing himself. "The name's Buck, short for Buckminster, long for Baa." Releasing her the male stepped back and watched her expectantly.

Perplexed all the she-weasel could do was stare at him with cloudy, wide hazel eyes. Buck, as he had introduced himself to be noticed her vacant stare and mistook it for confusion. Solidfying Josaline's assumption earlier that she amused him, Buck stated mirthfully, "Well you are?"

Jumping back a step the she-weasel all but growled out, "Josaline! And don't call me luv!" Josaline's ears shot forward then back down as she heard a bit of stifled laughter from Buck. Huffing softly Josaline crossed her arms in anger. Shrugging the male weasel turned his back and spoke over his shoulder to her. "Well_ Josaline_, I suggest you leave, now."

Stomping a foot in frustration Josaline fisted her paws at her sides. Baring her teeth she snapped, "And exactly how does one go about doing that! And besides even if I knew I can't leave yet!"

Slowing Buck turned and began to walk backwards giving another seemly careless shrug. "Not my problem, eh, Josie?" Growling silently the she-weasel began to count down from ten in her head before managing to ground out, "It's Josaline, and you're really just going to leave me here!"

Before the brown weasel could form his reply an earsplitting roar pierced the air causing both weasels to jump and one to cover her ears. With that roar Josaline saw a great white blob emerge from the jungle and she heard Buck utter a single word, "Rudy."

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><p>If you have trouble understanding how to pronounce Josaline's name I hope this will help: pronounce it like so- Ja-sa-lynn. Probably not the most helpful but hopefully you get the jist of it. Anyway please, please, please review.<p>

~PRG


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Near Death Experience

Josaline stood frozen in shock and fear as the white blob entered the clearing completely. Her head snapped in Buck's direction when he muttered the beast's name. _'Rudy? You have got to be kidding me! How intimidating is that name? Not very in my opinion. I've seen sloths whose names where more intimidating'_ she mused. At the train of thought she mentally face palmed herself._ 'Now is not the time!'_

Focusing back on Buck and the white blob she could barely make out Buck tilting his head slightly in her direction. As it appeared to her limited sight it seemed both were engaged in a staring contest. "You should be running now, mate."

It took a moment to register that he was speaking to her because the instant he opened his mouth and spoke it triggered the thing into action. It let out another earsplitting roar and charged both mammals. And all Josaline could do was stand rooted into place by fear and horror as the thing bared down on them.

Buck seemed to notice the ebony she-weasel's immobile form and rolled his eye before darting toward her. Josaline was finally broken from her trance as Buck shoved forcefully into her and began shouting, "GO NOW! GO!"

Feeling the small she-weasel finally come to her senses and begin to scurry away Buck abandoned her in favor of distracting his favorite plaything/rival. It would've worked too if the dinosaur was another, but as it was Rudy was a very intelligent creature.

A strangled squeak bubbled from Josaline's throat as she felt a rush of air in front of her and a loud 'thud' coupled with rocks flying up from the ground followed. Rudy had blocked the small weasel's escape with his tail. Something that Josaline had always appreciated about being mostly blind was the extra sensitivity to the vibrations of the air and ground. This little perk allowed her to scramble out of the way of Rudy's giant white feet.

What the weasel wasn't expecting was to be picked up and carried under someone's arm as soon as she had cleared Rudy's enormous feet. The odd scent of jungle, fruit, and something else surrounded her. Recognizing it as the weasel Buck, Josaline decided not to fight the awkward position for now. After all he was getting her away from the white beast.

An angered roar and thundering footsteps made her jerk her head up and stare wide-eyed at the rapidly approaching Rudy. She began to tap frantically on her carrier's shoulder and yelled, "Go faster!"

Buck just grunted in reply and Josaline yelped when the male made a sudden change of direction. She emitted another yelp as he stopped and deposited her on to the ground. To say Josaline was bemused was an understatement. Hopping up she noted to her dismay that they were currently backed to the edge of a cliff; she could tell that much at least. Even more distressing to the female, was the alabaster beast stalking his way closer at a slower pace. Josaline figured he was savoring his victory over prey that had stupidly ran themselves in to a dead end.

Tugging on her left arm caused the she-weasel to snap sharply to attention. She was mildly concerned when she heard a hearty chuckle emerge from her companion's throat._ 'What in the... what could he possibly be laughing about at a time like this?'_ she wondered.

It seemed as if her male companion read her thoughts when he spoke in his accented voice, "Looks like ol' Rudy thinks he's got us cornered, eh luv?" To consumed with fear and skepticism she didn't bother to correct him in her statement, "And he doesn't?"

She hazily saw the blob that was his head shake from side to side. "No darlin' he doesn't. You know how to swing from vines?" Baffled Josaline shook her head, "No, wh- what are you doing!" The young she-weasel's voice jumped a few octaves as Buck slung her on to his back. "Better hold on tight Josie!"

That was all the warning she got before both Buck and herself were sailing from the cliff into the air. Cringing in fright, her experience earlier today still fresh in her mind, Josaline tightened her grip and buried her face in to the male's back. A sudden jerk almost made her lose her grip and she whimpered as they flew through the air again. All the while angry roars echoed from behind them.

A surprised hiss left her companion and the weasel heard an ominous 'snap' and then they were falling, again.

Luckily they were no longer over the crevice and were on the other side a ways up from the ground. Both weasels landed hard and rolled. Josaline grunted as she came to a painful stop beside Buck and she heard him give a similar sound.

Wincing she managed to sit up and finally open her tightly clenched eyes; she regretted doing so immediately. She thought her normal 'vision' was bad but at least it didn't seem to swirl in different colors and leave her as disoriented. Shaking her head a few times in an effort to clear it, she slowly reopened her clouded hazel orbs to find her 'vision' was back to normal.

A paw settling on her shoulder made Josaline jump up only to trip a step later over her own feet. Stifled laughter caused the dark furred weasel to leap up and growl warningly as a warmth rushed to her cheeks.

She sensed the male raise an eyebrow in amusement. Frowning she dusted herself off before crossing her arms and posing a question. "So what in the name of all that is sacred and holy was that thing!"

Her larger counterpart let out a quick chuckle and spoke wistfully, "That my dear lass, was an albino baryonyx, I fondly refer to as," and at this point he paused dramatically before continuing, "Rudy." It was evident that he had forgotten he said the dino's name earlier and it's effect was lost on Joseline. However Josaline did get the impression that the name was supposed to strike fear into the hearts of all that heard it. Scoffing silently the black weasel bit back a snarky comment. If she wanted his help she would need to stay on his good side.

Perking her ears forward the female opened her mouth to do something she rarely did, "Thank you for saving me, twice." The statement came out a bit stilted and rough but it was a 'thank you' nonetheless.

An offended expression flitted across her face as the male simply shrugged. Letting her ears droop at being disregarded so easily the she-weasel scurried up to Buck's side as he began to saunter away.

Cutting in front of him to make him halt Josaline waved her paws around while speaking. "Hey, where are you going! You're not going to leave me here like you intended to the first time!" Buck sidestepped around Josaline and frowned at her over his shoulder. "Sorry Josie, I can't be babysittin' you all day. You really should be getting home to your family, I'm sure they're worried."

For the second time that day Josaline felt the fur along her spine stand up in rage. It was all the small female could do to stop from strangling the male. She instead settled for gripping Buck's shoulders and standing on the tips of her toes in an effort to seem taller. Even with the small height boost she was still several inches shorter.

Surprising herself she spoke in a low and controlled voice that didn't reflect what she was feeling internally, "Do not speak of my family and do not treat me like a child. I'm much older than I appear." She paused to let it sink in and then continued, ignoring his wide-eyed look. "And there is a reason why I'm down here and even if there wasn't I still wouldn't be getting out anytime soon. I don't know the way out and since it's obvious you couldn't tell, I'm friggin' blind!"

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><p>Well there's the end to chapter 2. Sorry if Buck seems OOC, but you have to look at it this way: Buck probably hasn't seen a female of his species in a few years and this would set any crazy, jungle dwelling hermit on edge. And I really don't want Buck to instantly fall for Josaline and vice versa; neither seem to be the type that would fall head over heels, love at first sight. (sigh) Anyway please review.<p>

~PRG


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Decisions

Taking a step back Josaline turned and paced away a few steps before coming to rest and crossing her arms. This pose only lasted a few seconds before she span back around and addressed the dumbstruck male again. "Look I don't really ever acknowledge that I'm handicapped very often, but as of now I'm being forced to; it would be incredibly stupid of me not to. That is why I'm asking, no begging you; please I need your help!"

Finishing her plea Josaline felt a wave of embarrassment settle over her; she had never begged for anything in her life. _'Oh well too late to take it back now.'_ ,she thought miserably.

The silence penetrated the air and space before both weasels as one waited anxiously and the other stared ahead in deep thought. Josaline almost sighed in relief as Buck's accented voice broke the atmosphere around them. "Is that why your eyes have a light film over them?"

Nodding carefully the she weasel asked again, "So will you help me?" For a moment Josaline was sure the brunette male was going to refuse but when she vaguely saw his shoulders move up in a shrug and the green, white, and brown blob plop onto his shoulder she let out a small breath. "Alright, I'll help ya, but I've got rules."

Relief rushing through her the dark furred weasel nodded quickly. "Okay." Hearing the male take in a deep breath Josaline's ears instantly perked forward. "Rule number one: Always listen to Buck." With a quick nod Josaline signaled him to continue. "Rule number two: Stay in the middle of the path!" Another nod and the male took in a deep dramatic breath that had Josaline leaning forward slightly in curiosity. "Rule number three: He who has gas travels at the back of the pack."

The serious air surrounding both weasel shattered instantly. Rolling her eyes Josaline had to fight the urge to find the nearest tree and beat her head against it. Repeatedly. _'I think I'm insane for asking the insane for help.'_

Her attention was drawn back to the male when he bounded forward. "Alright Josie, we really need to find a place ta camp. In fact I know a little place up ahead in the jungle." Huffing in annoyance the ebony weasel tilted her head to the side, "Josaline, my name is Josaline! And pray-tell what for!"

A chuckle that sounded oddly mocking and sarcastic caused the female to pin her ears against her head in frustration. "Sorry,_ Josaline_, but you don't really want to get stuck out here at night. You could end up being something's midnight snack." Ignoring the male's again mocking tone, she gestured into the forest that she could now tell was steadily getting darker. "Lead the way then."

It seemed that was all the male needed to hear because in the next instant he had a iron grip on her wrist and was towing her into the rapidly darkening forest. Josaline was extremely uncomfortable with the unexpected contact but she wasn't going to complain; it wasn't like she could see where she was going anyway and she really didn't like to entertain the thought of getting lost.

The strange weasel leading her along literally by the hand suddenly cleared his throat startling the female. Shooting the male a questioning look she knew he probably wouldn't see she waited. "Don't take this the wrong way luv, but if you're 'older than you appear' why are you so small? I mean I've never seen another weasel as small as you."

Josaline felt her spine stiffen and her paws fist. It was a completely innocent and harmless question really, but it managed to drag up a past she thought she had buried and let go._ 'Josaline control yourself; he doesn't know. It was just asked out of curiosity not out of malicious intent.'_

Buck must have taken note of her suddenly changed demeanor because she thought he glanced back and seemed as if he wanted to say something. Luckily she was saved from answering him at the moment because where they were apparently staying had appeared. It was a small cave with vegetation hanging in front of the mouth partially obscuring it from view. This description of course came from her guide. Josaline couldn't make heads or tails of the similarly dark blobs; her vision in the brightest light was bad, this light, there was no way she would be able to see.

"So is anything living in there?" Josaline asked. She felt the male drop her wrist and take off to the cave without answering her question. The female had to squash down an irrational wave of panic that seemed to want to overcome her mind.

At this point it was so dark the black weasel couldn't see anything, just a deep never ending sea of blackness. In light of this, a new wave of fear swept through her; she had never liked the dark, it made her feel as if she were completely blind. As it was, she was so focused on keeping her cool the female completely missed the sounds of someone approaching.

Josaline felt something take hold of her elbow and as a result, lashed out. Her fisted paw made contact with something and she heard a pained hiss; this tiny sound broke something in her mind and she let her fear take hold.

Again she lashed out and again she made contact and earned a pained grunt before both paws were restrained and a voice hissed in her left ear, "Relax lass, it's me." Instantly the female relaxed her muscles and allowed the male to lead her into what she assumed was the cave. A damp, musty smell made Josaline's nose twitch in irritation and make it known with a sneeze.

The small sound seemed to startle her guide; she had felt him tense. A small smirk settled on her lips until she felt him drop her wrist and again she was alone in the darkness._ 'Perhaps it isn't the best idea to agitate the one who's trying to help me.'_ she mused. She could feel the beginnings of the blind panic from before lurking at the edges of her mind. It was soon dispelled when an orange glow suddenly lit the room causing the she weasel to hiss and turn her watering eyes away.

This time Josaline heard Buck's approach and as such allowed the slightly insane weasel to lead her to what she now realized was a fire. Calming herself the ebony weasel let her other senses take over for her lack of sight. Her ears twitched to take in all the sounds around her and her nose flared in its own efforts.

Satisfied that it was indeed safe the she weasel jumped back into reality when her companion nudged her to sit. Sighing mentally Josaline complied while Buck settled across from her. She could barely make out his form even with the artificial light.

The clearing of a throat reminded Josaline of her companion. "So Josie- I mean Josaline, who are you looking for?" Barely containing a smirk at the male's quick correction of her name all elation dropped as his complete statement registered in her mind. Astonished the female stuttered, "H-how did you know I was looking for someone!"

A smirk was obvious in the male's voice as he spoke," Well I saw two other figures fall around the same time you did."

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><p>Well here's the third chapter. Please read and review if you will.<p>

~PRG


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Shocks, shocks and more shocks

Josaline was startled awake by a gentle shaking. Turning her bleary eyes to the hand on her shoulder that had caused her to wake she spared just a glance at its owner. She saw the male shrug before settling on a rock and begin sharpening his knife. He had mentioned it to her before delving in some grand story of his 'adventures'. Turning her thoughts to herself Josaline was surprised she had even slept considering the news Buck had delivered the night before and news it was.

The moments the words had left her lighter counterpart's mouth he had had her attention; he had said he saw where her brothers had fallen. Now if only she could convince him to lead her to them and then lead them to the exit of this forsaken place. It had never even occured to her whether or not they were alive. Snapping her attention from her depressing thoughts back to the male in front of her she observed silently as he kept testing and sharpening his knife. Taking a deep, steadying breath the she-weasel steeled her resolve and spoke softly, but clearly, "So are you going to help me find my brothers?"

The male paused in his work before lifting his shoulders in a shrug and verbally giving the answer Josaline knew and dreaded, "I'm sorry, but I can't do that luv. They're more than likely dead and I don't feel like leading a handicapped weasel into the Valley of Darkness on a suicide mission."

Josaline's ebony ears fell and stayed that way, even as she stood and addressed the male again, "Then this is where we part ways Buckminster; if you would be so kind as to point me in the direction of this valley I'll be on my way." The she-weasel waited patiently for the male to acknowledge and answer her. When he didn't and continued to sharpen his knife her tattered grip on the little control she had snapped. Marching quickly across the cave to where she could make out his brown blob she grabbed one of his arms and growled out, " Look I don't care if you come or not, just tell me where to go and I'll be gone! That's what you want isn't it!" By the time she finished she was panting harshly and the male was staring at her with contemplative eyes.

A heavy sigh fell from the male's lips as he gently pried Josaline's paw away. Shaking his head in a 'I-have-no-idea-why-I'm-doing-this' way the brown weasel conceded, "I can only take you to the entrance of the valley, I'll go no further. From there you're on your own. But first I have a condition; you have to answer the question you evaded last night."

Nodding vigorously the she-weasel answered quickly, "I'm looking for my two brothers, Jasper and Ace."

The male chuckled darkly before shaking his head in disbelief, "Glad to know, but again you have evaded the question. So this time please answer the question and truthfully."

Stiffening Josaline knew she was caught and her evasive answering was in vain. Growling softly she sniffed in disdain before delivering the answer the male was so desperately curious about, "You asked why I was so small; I'm small because I'm the only surviving kit of my mother's prematurely delivered litter." A small, dark smile bloomed across the weasel's face before she continued, "You see my mother had a difficult time carrying kits to their due dates and I'm the 'lucky' survivor of her third litter. My little brothers were more fortunate; they were carried to full term. So you see my small stature and blindness are both factors from my premature birth." Grim satisfaction settled in her mind at the male's slightly horrified expression. Flicking her tail back and forth in annoyance the she-weasel tilted her head and queried, "So now that you know my life story, can we go now?"

The male didn't say a word, he just picked up his custom-made knife and made his way out of the cave leaving Josaline scrambling to catch up. The smaller weasel finally caught to the larger weasel just outside the cave's mouth and fell in to step behind him. She was disinclined to start up conversation so they walked in a piercing silence until around midday. That was when Buck had decided they needed to rest.

Sighing in relief Josaline threw herself down on to a conveniently placed rock and began to massage her aching feet. She risked a glance at her companion and frowned when she saw he wasn't the least bit tired; he was simply playing with his knife. Josaline was astonished; sure she had walked long distances, but not in heat and terrain like that of this lost and forgotten world. And the male weasel didn't seem to be feeling the effects at all. Josaline felt drained of energy and her stomach echoed her notion with a rumble. Thankfully her dark fur was enough to hide her flush when her guide glanced over at her with his eyebrow cocked in amusement, " Is something wrong Josie?" Flushing deeper the dark female simply crossed her arms and turned her head away, attempting to steadily ignore the gnawing of her stomach. Buck simply shook his head and darted off in to the dark recesses of the jungle.

A confused expression lit the young she-weasel's face as the male disappeared, but she didn't dwell on it for too long. For some odd reason she instinctively knew the male wouldn't abandon her; he just wasn't that way. Her instincts proved correct when moments later the male reappeared with what appeared to be fruit.

The male swaggered up to Josaline and held out one of the fruits. A grin tugged at the male's lips when Josaline simply eyed it warily; like it was going to attack her or something. "No need to worry luv, perfectly safe to eat."

Frowning, Josaline snatched at the fruit in anger only to meet thin air and a smugly grinning weasel. Rolling her eyes at his childish antics the female held out an ebony paw. The male chuckled before handing the fruit over and digging in to his own. Ears perked forward Josaline slowly took a bite of her own and revelled in the taste. The fruit was sweet and tangy and Josaline decided she liked it instantly. A few moments later and both weasels were on the move again.

An unsettling feeling weighed heavily on Josaline's mind and heart. Clearing her throat softly she lightly tapped her larger companion on his shoulder to gain his attention. Said male glanced at her in question and Josaline swallowed quickly and whispered in her sincerity, "Thank you."

Buck didn't think she was just referring to the fruit, but declined to mention it. He just shrugged and gave the female a small smile, "No problem Josaline."

Startled the black weasel stopped abruptly and stared at the male's back as he continued walking. And for the first time in a long time Josaline felt a small, genuine smile slip onto her face. Realizing she was falling behind the weasel jogged to catch up and fell in to step once more behind her guide. Content, the she-weasel allowed her voice to take on a more positive tone, "So where do we have to go to get to this 'Valley of Darkness'?"

Jumping, startled the brown weasel took note of Josaline's lighter tone before tapping his chin in thought. Abruptly he turned, startling Josaline, and began walking backwards. "Well the Valley of Darkness is on the far end of the Jungle of Misery and we're about a quarter of the way there. And farther in we'll have to travel by night and rest in the day; after all, Rudy does roam these parts and I'd hate to run in to him." Just as abruptly as he turned to face Josaline he turned back around.

Josaline could hear the words he didn't say though and they were echoed painfully by a malicious voice in her head,_ 'He doesn't want to run in to that thing with a weakling like you. You just slow him down anyway; just like you do your brothers.' _She recognized the mind voice as her own and the female's ears drooped and her good mood quickly plummeted. She knew the voice was being truthful, but she just couldn't bring herself to leave.

So deeply engrossed in her self-destructive thoughts the she-weasel didn't realized Buck had halted and as a result ran smack in to his back. Falling down on her rump she stared up questioningly at the male. He was rigid and the fur along his spine stood on end; this caused the she-weasel's fur to stand straight up. She didn't know what would cause the normally laid back male's alarm, but whatever it was it wasn't good. Scrambling to her feet she shuffled closer to the male and glanced at his face. Although she couldn't really distinguish much she could tell he was fixated in one direction. Cautiously peering around him a strangled gasp escaped the ebony weasel's chest. One word was the only thing the near hyperventilating weasel could utter, "Ace!"

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><p>Well here's the chappie. Please read and review if you will.<p>

~PRG


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Blood Feud

"A-Ace!", a suddenly frightened she-weasel queried. She could only make out some of the male's blond fur the rest was coated in something brownish-red. Sniffing tentatively from behind the on edge Buck's arm the ebony weasel caught her brother's strawberry scent, but it was tainted with the scent of a substance she knew all too well. A scent she came to realize originated from the rusty color that stained his normally pale fur. Blood. The scent was so strong that it tainted the air where she and Buck stood frozen. It was sickening and it almost completely covered her brother's scent. At that moment she knew she was lucky her sense of smell was so developed; if it wasn't for that then she probably would've never known it was him.

Swallowing the bile that was threatening to rise in her throat Josaline tried again to speak with the blood-coated male, "Ace? Ace are you all right?" It was a stupid question in her opinion, of course he wasn't all right he was coated in all animals' life blood, but she couldn't think of anything else to ask. And besides, either her voice or her question provoked a response, albeit it wasn't one she was expecting.

The bloodstained weasel whirled and darted off the way he had appeared, and in a moment of panic and confusion Josaline broke the second cardinal rule Buck had established: Never stray from the path. Quickly ducking under her companion's outstretched arm the female utilized all the speed that she had and bolted after the younger blond weasel leaving a cursing Buck in her wake. One thing buzzed through the black weasel's thoughts constantly as she ran through the jungle relying more on sense of smell than sight,_ 'What's wrong with him!'_

Although Josaline knew it was foolish of her to have rushed off the way she did she couldn't help it, it was her brother and she wasn't about to let him dart off without a good explanation. A burning in the female's lungs and extremities warned her that she would have to stop before she collapsed. She pushed on just a little farther before the burning became so overwhelming it forced her to a stuttering stop, gasping for air. Her harsh, rapid breathing was the only thing that pierced the air of the curiously silent jungle. A sense of foreboding prickled at the back of her mind warning her of her stupid endevor, but she simply ignored it by concentrating on taking huge gulps of air to regulate her breathing. As soon as her breathing had evened out and her heart slowed to a steady rythum, or as steady as it could be in her situation she continued on at a slower pace observing the passing jungle. It would've appeared to be the same as any other part if it wasn't for Ace's heavy blood-ladened scent in the air and it only got stronger the further along she went.

She lifted her nose to the wind as she followed the male's path. It wasn't long before she burst in to a clearing, but this was as far as she could go. The male's scent was everywhere; he had obviously not wanted to be found. Cautiously stalking forward in to the clearing Josaline felt her fur stand up in agitation. Flickering her ears back and forth she attempted to take in all of the sounds of the jungle around, but a small river off a hundred feet to her right created a dull, rushing sound that made it difficult. This being the case she was amazed at her own hearing when she heard the quiet, calculated footfalls that rushed at her from her left.

Diving forward the she-weasel barely dodged a blond, bloodcoated weasel that streaked from the bushes. Acting out of pure instinct the she-weasel rolled to her feet and spun to face her attacker. Dread whelled up inside of her at the sight of her brother stalking toward her; an angry, warning hiss rumbled from her chest, she didn't want to fight him. The sound was abruptly cut short as the weasel that used to be her brother came flying in to her with an angry growl.

Releasing a gasping breath as the momentum carried her forward and to the right, both weasels went down in a flurry of angry hisses and snarls. Even if it was her brother Josaline knew instinctively that this fight was going to be one for her life and she wasn't going to forfeit her right to live.

Angrily the female, though pinned by her bigger brother delivered a viscious kick to his knee. A pained yowl met her ears and Josaline took the opportunity to throw the male off. Scrambling back in a desperate attempt to get as far away as possible the she-weasel kept her eyes glued on the larger form. Clearing her throat she made one, final desperate attempt to break through to him, "Ace! Come on, I don't want to fight!"

Her plea fell upon deaf ears as the male charged at her again. The blond weasel was fast, faster than their brother Jasper, but Ace wasn't nearly as fast as Josaline. Quickly sidestepping the charge the female spun and launched herself at the male's unprotected back. Landing solidly Josaline felt her brother buckle and go down; taking the opportunity she quickly pinned the male's arms and attempted to pin his flailing legs with her own. If she failed to do so she would be in trouble; she doubted she'd be able to get away fast enough if she managed to break free. After all she was lighter, smaller, and as much as she hated to admit it weaker than her brother.

All bets were off and Josaline learned the hard way that she was more suited for quick strikes, then retreats. Ace had wrenched free an arm and drove it back hard in to his sister's chest, causing the female's grip to loosen. The next thing Josaline knew she was sailing through the air and landing hard a few feet away. Evey part of the she-weasel ached and she could barely bring herself to roll onto her back to help alieviate the pain that was spreading like fire in her chest. Panting heavily soft, predatory footsteps made Josaline open tightly clenched eyes and glare balefully at the blurred figure approaching.

The male snatched his sister up by the scruff of her neck and growled menacingly. The dark furred weasel didn't have the energy to struggle so she settled on a defiant growl.

The next sequence of events happened so fast the female could barely register them. One instant she was dangling in the air staring death in the face and the next she was on the ground staring at the sky through the canopy.

Rolling onto her stomach she stiffened as she watched a viscious battle begin to unfold. Angry hisses, growls, yowls, and snarls emitted from two figures struggling to dominate and destroy the other. Squinting to clear her vision a little she was somewhat relieved that it actually worked. Narrowing her eyes at the figures she took a timid sniff of the air and Josaline's hazel eyes widened. As if the day couldn't get any weirder, she gave an incredulous shout, "JASPER!"

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><p>Oooooohhhh, what do these new developments mean? Only I know, ~_^ Read and Review please.<p>

~PRG


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